Laser amplification apparatus, laser apparatus, and laser nuclear fusion reactor

Abstract

The laser amplification apparatus is provided with a plurality of plate-shaped laser medium components (M1 to M4) which are disposed to be aligned along a thickness direction, and prisms (P1 to P3) which optically couples the laser medium components. Each of the laser medium components is provided with a main surface to which a seed light is incident, and a side surface which surrounds the main surface. An excitation light is incident from at least one side surface of a specific laser medium component among the plurality of laser medium components. The excitation light is incident through the prism to a side surface of the laser medium component adjacent to the prism.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A laser amplification apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of plate-shaped laser medium components each having a main surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the first and second side surfaces extending along a thickness of the laser medium components; 
 one or more prisms optically coupled to the first side surfaces or the second side surfaces of the laser medium components; 
 one or more excitation light sources configured to apply excitation light to at least one of the first side surfaces and second side surfaces of the laser medium components; and 
 a seed light source configured to apply seed light to the main surface of one of the laser medium components, 
 wherein the plurality of laser medium components are aligned along a direction of the seed light with the main surfaces of the laser medium components facing the seed light, 
 the main surface of the laser medium component to which the seed light is applied is subjected to an antireflection treatment with respect to the seed light, and 
 the first side surfaces or the second side surfaces of the laser medium components and the one or more prisms are respectively glued or bonded, 
 the laser amplification apparatus further comprising: 
 an enclosure configured to store the laser medium components and the one or more prisms; and 
 an absorber provided on an inner surface of the enclosure and configured to absorb a spontaneous emission light from the laser medium components. 
 
     
     
       2. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a coolant supply source configured to supply a coolant to a gap between the laser medium components. 
 
     
     
       3. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first side surface or the second side surface of one of the laser medium components to which the excitation light is first incident is subjected to an antireflection treatment with respect to the excitation light. 
 
     
     
       4. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the one or more prisms is a plurality of prisms configured to direct the excitation light in through each of the side surfaces of the plurality of laser medium components in series, and 
 a reflective film is provided at a last side surface of the series. 
 
     
     
       5. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the laser medium components consists of a plate of a laser medium. 
 
     
     
       6. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the plate of the laser medium is a disk shape. 
 
     
     
       7. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein a material of the laser medium is a Yb-additive YAG. 
 
     
     
       8. A laser nuclear fusion reactor, comprising:
 a chamber configured to store nuclear fusion fuel; and 
 the laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the laser amplification apparatus is configured to introduce laser light into the chamber. 
 
     
     
       9. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the laser medium components comprises a plate of a laser medium and a holder configured to support the plate of the laser medium. 
 
     
     
       10. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the plate of the laser medium is a disk shape. 
 
     
     
       11. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein a material of the laser medium is a Yb-additive YAG. 
 
     
     
       12. A laser amplification apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of laser medium components, each laser medium component having
 a flat plate shape with a main surface extending in an YZ plane defined by Y and Z axes of a Cartesian coordinate system, and 
 first and second side end surfaces extending in an XZ plane defined by X and Z axes of the Cartesian coordinate system, the first and second side end surfaces adjoining the main surface, the first side end surface being opposite to the second side end surface, 
 
 wherein the plurality of laser medium components are aligned along the X axis direction; 
 the laser amplification apparatus further comprising: 
 one or more prisms, wherein,
 for odd values of n, an n-th prism is optically coupled to the first side end surface of an n-th laser medium component of the plurality of laser medium components, and to the first side end surface of an (n+1)-th laser medium component of the plurality of laser medium components, 
 for even values of n, an nth prism is optically coupled to the second side end surface of the n-th laser medium component of the plurality of laser medium components, and to the second side end surface of the (n+1)-th laser medium component of the plurality of laser medium components, and 
 n equals at least 1; 
 
 one or more excitation light sources configured to apply excitation light to at least one of the first side end surfaces and second side end surfaces of the laser medium components; and 
 a seed light source configured to apply seed light to the main surface of one of the laser medium components, 
 wherein each of the first and last of the plurality of laser medium components aligned along the X axis direction is optically coupled to only one of the one or more prisms. 
 
     
     
       13. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a coolant supply source configured to supply a coolant to a gap between adjacent laser medium components of the plurality of laser medium components. 
 
     
     
       14. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first or second side end surface of one of the laser medium components to which the excitation light from the excitation light source is first incident is subjected to an antireflection treatment with respect to the excitation light. 
 
     
     
       15. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the one or more prisms is a plurality of prisms configured to direct the excitation light in through each of the side end surfaces of the plurality of laser medium components in series, and 
 a reflective film is provided in a last side end surface of the series. 
 
     
     
       16. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the main surface of the laser medium component to which the seed light is applied is subjected to an antireflection treatment with respect to the seed light, 
 wherein the first or second side end surfaces of the laser medium components and the one or more prisms are glued or bonded to each other, 
 the laser amplification apparatus further comprising: 
 an enclosure configured to store the laser medium components and the one or more prisms; and 
 an absorber provided on an inner surface of the enclosure and configured to absorb a spontaneous emission light from the laser medium components. 
 
     
     
       17. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein each laser medium component consists of a plate of a laser medium. 
 
     
     
       18. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the plate of the laser medium is a disk shape. 
 
     
     
       19. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein a material of the laser medium is a Yb-additive YAG. 
 
     
     
       20. A laser nuclear fusion reactor, comprising:
 the laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 19 ; and 
 a chamber configured to store fuel, wherein the fuel is suitable for generating nuclear fusion when the chamber is irradiated with a laser light from the laser amplification apparatus. 
 
     
     
       21. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein each laser medium component comprises a plate of a laser medium and a holder configured to support the plate of the laser medium. 
 
     
     
       22. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the plate of the laser medium is a disk shape. 
 
     
     
       23. The laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein a material of the laser medium is a Yb-additive YAG. 
 
     
     
       24. A laser nuclear fusion reactor, comprising:
 the laser amplification apparatus according to  claim 23 ; and 
 a chamber configured to store fuel, wherein the fuel is suitable for generating nuclear fusion when the chamber is irradiated with a laser light from the laser amplification apparatus.